Roll And Blast Your Way Past Your Foes And Collect The Shiny Pellets In Brick Roll

Brick Roll ($1.99) by Gavina Games is a delightful platformer that is all about timing and skill. It makes me think of a mix between They Need To Be Fed 2 and Pac-Man.

This week has been a big one for games, especially of the retro variety. There’s always something about block-y games that captures my attention and warms my heart, and Brick Roll is no exception. I’m quite delighted with this title.

The biggest draw to this game were the beautifully smooth and colorful 16-bit like graphics. If you’re a fan of the retro look, then this game will appeal to you visually. Animations are smooth and fluid, and just flow so well. It also has a fun little chiptune soundtrack, adding to the vintage feel.

Brick Roll features four different worlds, each with six levels, including a boss fight and secret levels to unlock. In order to advance through the levels, you will need to clear the previous one.

The goal in each is to help the yellow block collect all of the yellow pellets (including special power-up ones), and then make your way back to the door without dying. Your yellow block will move automatically along the larger blocks, and you will be in charge of controlling the direction it moves in as well as jumping on to other blocks. To turn, tap on the left side of the screen, and to jump, just tap on the right side.

As I mentioned before, you will need to collect all of the pellets to reveal the door to move on to the next level. Of course, this would be too easy if there were nothing in your way, right? Oh, but there are other enemies that patrol the blocks, trying to ensure that you don’t collect them. You will need to maneuver your way around them, jump on top of them, or charge into them with a power-up pellet to get rid of them. Once these guys touch you, you will lose a heart — lose all three, and it’s game over! If you come across any green gems, make sure to collect them — it may come in handy later.

There are four “stars” that you can earn on each level. You earn one if you are able to beat the level in the specified time, beat all enemies, find the secret area, or don’t lose any lives. There is also full Game Center integration for leaderboards on all levels, and 14 achievements.

I’ve been enjoying Brick Roll quite a bit so far. The gameplay is simple, but it definitely gets more difficult as you progress, making this a game that will keep you busy for quite some time. The visuals and animations are also just lovely, and the tunes are quirky and catchy. The only thing I hope to see in the future are more levels and even different power-ups.

If you’re a fan of non-traditional platformers and looking for something to keep you occupied this weekend, I highly recommend checking out Brick Roll.

Roll your way towards the App Store and download Brick Roll for only $1.99.